It is advantageous in carrying cases, and especially in business luggage cases (i.e., briefcases, attache cases) that some means, such as a brace or a stay, be provided to hold the case parts separated so that the user may place papers therein or take them out without the lid slamming shut. To be fully satisfactory, such a brace or stay should occupy a minimum amount of interior space of the case and should not pose a threat to the hands of the user or damage papers contained in the case during opening and closing. A well-known prior brace consists of a pair of arms pivotally interconnected, the outer ends of which are pivotally joined to the case halves such that when the case is fully open, the arms releasably lock into a straight member preventing inadvertent closing of the case. This known type of brace or stay is not completely satisfactory in that the pinching action between the two arms can tear or otherwise damage papers contained within the case, and it also can inflict injury on the fingers of the user.